|
General information about Vale do Lobo
Vale do lobo is the number one golf and vacation resort in Portugal. It is centrally located in the Algarve between Quinta do Lago and Vilamoura. It is only 20 minutes by car from the airport in Faro, which has flights leaving to almost all of Europe’s largest cities.
Vale do Lobo combines luxury accommodations and excellent restaurants with a great variety of sport and leisure options. Vale do Lobo also offers the ultimate combination of sun, sea, sport, relaxation, culture, and high-quality service. The extensive selection of facilities and the beautiful surroundings with rolling golf courses, scenic natural parks, characteristic villas, and long sandy beaches that are amongst Europe’s finest, give this resort its unique status.
Landscape and beaches of Vale do Lobo
 Praia de Vale do Lobo, the largest golf and beach resort of Portugal, is encircled by well-maintained gardens, and lies directly against a miles-long beach. The resort puts in its part to help protect this beach and the surrounding cliffs against sea erosion.
In addition to this beach, there are two other beaches that are close to Vale do Lobo:
Praia do Anção, a long sand beach between Quinta do Lago and Vale do Lobo, which is in a stretched-out, dune-sheltered area. Praia do Anção is well-suited toward families with small children.
Praia do Garrão, also a long sand beach between Quinta do Lago and Vale do Lobo and sheltered by dunes. Here you can stroll endlessly in both directions, even to Faro or Vilamoura.
Things to do in Vale do Lobo
In addition to the extensive golf and tennis possibilities, the Vale do Lobo resort also offers facilities for a day of leisure in the shopping centre, which is situated on the Parque do Golfe. Here you will find many different boutiques, a beauty centre, a kiosk, and a bank. For everyday shopping needs you can go directly to the supermarket at the entrance of the park.
Cuisine of Vale do Lobo
Vale do Lobo has 15 excellent restaurants with different kitchens. Of course these include the Portuguese kitchen with its shellfish specialties, but also the French, Asian, and Italian kitchens. In short: great variety!
 Whether you choose an evening in a steakhouse or pizzeria or go for a luxurious dinner, almost all restaurants offer a childrens’ menu. More than half of the restaurants are situated on the Praça beach side, a wonderfully relaxed area as well as the social centre of Vale do Lobo in the evening.
In the tennis valley you will find a restaurant for those looking for a quiet atmosphere in which to dine. Looking out over the tennis courts, you can both lunch and eat dinner here.
Golf at Vale do Lobo
 Vale do Lobo manages two beautiful, challenging golf courses: the Royal Golf Course and the Ocean Golf Course. Based on the original concept of the famous Sir Henry Cotten and later redeveloped by the respected American golf architect Rocky Roquemore, both of these links offer a challenge and a game that few courses can match.
The Royal Golf Course has well-maintained courses and lies between the pine trees and scenic lakes ringed with wild flowers, along the edge of the cliff.
The Royal Golf Course was designed by the famous American golf course architect Rocky Roquemore, based on the original blueprints of Sir Henry Cotton, and was officially opened in 1997.
The Ocean Golf Course consists of rolling and very well-maintained holes that slope from the nature conservation area to the beach. From some of the holes you have one of the most magnificent view of the Algarve. The entire golf course was designed from the two original 9-hole golf courses designed by Sir Henry Cotton, which were opened in 1968 and 1972, respectively. His wish to blend two golf courses together became reality in 1995, after his  death.
The combination of golfing terrain and nature offers a pleasant round of golf for each level of golfer.
The Golf Centre lies on the Parque do Golfe complex and offers a complete package. It offers you the possibility to rent clubs and carts, but also: large locker rooms, a club house with a restaurant and bar, a Nevada Bob’s affiliate (the largest golf store chain in Europe), and a complete fitness centre with a physiotherapist specialising in golf injuries.
Sport and recreation in Vale do Lobo
 The Tennis Academy of Vale do Lobo offers 14 courts, of which 10 are all-season, and 4 are artificial. You can play throughout the year here. The size of this academy indicates that it is one of the most important tennis facilities in Portugal, as evidenced by the fact that it hosts several big tournaments every year.
In addition to the tennis courts a fitness room, a swimming pool, a pro shop, and two restaurants that look out over the courts make it a complete package.
Besides tennis and (of course) golf, you can also play lawn bowls at the Lawn Bowling Club of Vale do Lobo. Lawn bowls, not to be confused with regular bowling, is a sport in which the player or team tries to get his balls (bowls) as close as possible to a puck (jack). Every bowl that lies closer to the jack than the opposition gets one point. It is played in teams, and this sport is incredibly popular in, for example, Great Britain and its former colonies.
The Lawn Bowling Club of Vale do Lobo lies in a quiet zone between the Tennis Valley and the Vale Real, and offers a pleasant and fulfilling alternative to tennis or golf for the perfect day full of fun and leisure. |